1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer employing the electrophotographic process or the electrostatic recording process.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is adopted to be applicable to various recording materials. The image forming apparatus has a transfer unit configured to transfer a toner image formed on an image bearing member such as a photosensitive drum onto an intermediate transfer member and then to transfer the toner image formed on the intermediate transfer member onto a recording material.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-270974 discusses a technique is directed to suppressing the application voltage for transferring the toner image onto the recording material and to achieving an improvement in terms of image quality. The technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-270974 adopts a configuration in which a transfer portion is formed by two transfer inner rollers in contact with the inner surface of the intermediate transfer member and by two transfer outer rollers held in contact with the outer surface of the intermediate transfer member to pressurize the transfer inner rollers via the intermediate transfer member.
However, when the leading edge of the recording material having left the transfer portion formed by the first transfer inner roller and the first transfer outer roller on the upstream side is directed away from the intermediate transfer belt, there is a fear of a reduction in adhesiveness between the leading edge and the intermediate transfer belt after the leading edge has passed the transfer portion. As a result, there is a fear of the property of conveyance for the recording material toward the transfer portion formed by the second transfer outer roller and the second transfer inner roller on the downstream side becoming unstable, or a fear of the transfer property being deteriorated.